Rail-clamp for traveling bridges.



R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CIAMP FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES. APPLICATION FILED 1116.11l 1915.

1,297,083., Patented M111: 11, 1919 4/ ,s/ Y WITNESSES R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES. 4

APPLICATION FILED AuG.11, 19|5.

Patented Mar. 1l, 1919.

ILE. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP FOR TRAvELlNG BRIDGES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-II, l9l5.

Patented Mar. 11, 19M).

6 SHEETSNSHEET 3- III R. E. BROWN.

HAIL CLAMP FOR TRAVELINGBRIDGES.

APPLICATION FXLED AUGH, |915.

s SHEETS-SHEET 4.

FIGB

Patented Maux 11, 1919.

IFIGA WITNESSES APPLlcTlo'N FILED AUG.11.19|5.

Patented Mm'. 1l, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- FIG.6

WETNESSES INVENT MK MM @a R. E. BROWN.

RAIL CLAMP FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES.

APPLICTION FILED AUG.1|.1915. l '1 1,297,083b Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

` 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6- r\ z\ i@ EMIL Meel for quickly clamping` arms, so asto I and operating cables.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT f y, vRAYMOND n. BROWN, or BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIAAssIN PATTERSON, mc.,

or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

y RAIL-CLAMP Pon TnAvELINe BRIDGES:

incassa To all 'whom t may c omem:

Beit known that I, RAYMOND E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,land resident of Bellevue, in the countyof Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, 'have invented a new. and usefulI Improvement inRail-Clamps for Traveling Bridges; and I do hereby declare the followingto 'be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to rail-clamps for travelin Xbridges. ,s f f r Theo jectofmy invention is to provide a simple' andA eiicient means forholding [trayelin bridges securely in posit-ion when they are rou t to astate of rest, and means isengaging the clamps from the rails. 4

In my invention I employ f suspended wedgefshaped members whlch areadapted to move .between the up er ends ofthe l orce the clamps againstthe rails, `and means, if desired, operated by the withdrawal of saidweights to permit the motors to `he 'operated for movin `the bridgealong1 the track. l

In t e accompanying is a side view of a traveling bridge showing myinvention applied thereto; Fi 2 is anvenlarged pier-end -view of the brige; Fig. 3 isa like view of the shear-end; Fig. 4 is an enlarged'sideview partly in section of the clamping mechanism; Fig. 5 is an end viewlpartly in section; Fig. 6 is a planyiew 'of the, operators vplatformshowing -the treadle for operating the valveA controlling the cylinderswhich operate the weights. 7 is a side view of same, and Fi 8 is'grammatic View showing the clrcuits In the drawings, the numeral 2designates a suitable traveling bridge provided at one end with what iscommonly termed the pier-A endand at the other end the shear-end 4.-

. The bridge may be provided with *a clamlshell bue et or other ,deviceyfor liftin the material from one point and discharging it at another,but las this feature forms no part of my, invention, it has not beendeemed necessary to illustrate the same.

f A platform 6 is provided for the operator from 'which the movementofthe brid e is controlled. Thev treadle? on s aidpl'atlormSpecification of Letters Patent. Application med August 11,1915.serialgNo. 45,033. l`=

rawings, Figure 1 I The bridge l 'fthe' lower end of saidfs,I

PnNNsYLvANIA, mfg: RP

. Y g c br. has the arms 8 whichyarerconnected et'thef; rock-shaft -9.vAt the ontenerrdiofdthe .rgkrfshaft 9 1s the'leverllcarryfingrtle;weight.

nected to the-rod 12.fSBhe1coll-ar llcnfl'saidn rod engages the stop'14stecontfolftheimnvlcae ment of said rod. Theafpper end; olfztheraodo12 Iis connected to ther way valve 16 whichm l' type. L v y.'Connectedup to thevalve.l5VV rrntheA ip etiandlthefges The-inlet piper t, .-o',cnetaiing.i the compressed air. The pipe 1 ;leadstnthe; .i cylinder 2.0.The pistonerodlleofithe Crylijnf,` der 20 carries the yokegj22whicfnarea'o mounted the `sheaves;,2,3l and 24, 5A cable! 25 passesaroundthe Sheer@ .and Oven/f the sheave 26 and connecte is thewedge-block 27 v.A cable 28 passes a Y, .and sheave 29, and thenceaiothe sheaves 30 and 31j. i. Y, islikewise connected tobt to' thewedge-block 27g `The 'wedge-blocks 2,7'. Y into the frames 33 at,exaclnend,ofih end ofthe bridge, and-said yblopks Il1 cross-heads 34which .engaigeI,tl e, 1 35insaid'fr'ames 33. Ill '4 further providedwitlr` grooves 36 to receive',th 'll ,upper ends of theclamping...tclamping-levers are p1" otallyv the casting 39 inthe lowerend endbymeansl of thepiiis 4 end of the;clampingafijnis-4 41 lwhich are adaptedvhead42 l', Straps 43 engage the icl said straps having theQi'gie-.blithe springs ,445" are'conne'c de tending to normally Hol d'clamping-arms in open A motorv v46 is carrie J The motorshaft iscon'iliec j j ,l shaft47.` At the cute' 'l jf' s 47 are the bevel-gearsl,whiglfn the bevel-gears 49 A011 .the 5,0 j

SLD"

gears 5,08' at endsof s the bevel-gears 51 on Lt'he ofthe bridge;I f

A suitable switch 63 has the l arm 64,

p ,the switch and complete the-circuit to the lmotor for moving thebridge along the gears 53 which with the bevel-gears `54 i onthe shafts55. The shafts 55 have the gear-wheels. 56 which mesh with the largegears 57'in the shafts 58. Thegear-wheels 59 on said shafts mesh withgear-wheels 60 mounted on the axles 6.1 of the` trucks 62 on which thepier-end is l, m'ounted. manner power is one end of said arm carryingthe weight 65 andy the other carrying the weight 66, the

weight 65 being heavier than the weight 66.

A cable 67 ,connects the weight 65' with the cable 28 so that when ythecable 28 is moved.

to lifty the 'wedge-block, the movement of said cablewill act to movethe arm 63 of tracks, as fully hereinafter set forth.. n

A branch-pipe 68 is connected to the pipe 18; said branch-pipe leadstothe cylinder 69.I Connected to thel piston-rod70of ythe cylinder 69are the sheaves 71, the cables 7 2 and 73 engaging thesheave 71. Thecable 724 passes over and around the sl1eave.7'1 and to said cable isconnected the wedge;

block 75,1 The cable 73 passes over the sheave -76 and the wedge-block77 is con` nected to said cable. The wedge-blocks 7 and -77 Y, engageclamping-arms similar to,

those described in connection with'thepierend, but it is not deemednecessary 4to repeatthe description in 'connection with the wedge-blocks75 and 77.

VThe motors 78 are provided for moving the shear-end of the bridge, andsaid motors fjareconnected u L by suitablegearing with the .wheelsvl oft e trucks supporting said shear-end. The switch 7 9, similar Ato theswitch; 63, nis employed lfor controlling the Acurrent to the motors andthe manner of .lfoperating `thisswitchby the movement of the cable inraisingwthe wedge-block is the same as `thatdescjribed in'connectionwith the switch 63., l 4

From the above description, it willbe ap-` ?pa'rent thatwhen thebridgeis stationary the clamping-jaws will be in engagement with -therails tohold the bridge from movef ment, and as soon as it is desired toy movethe bridge,;the' operator by' putting hi's 4foot upony the4 treadle 7`opposite the three-way valve to admit air tothe cylinders 2O and 69,whereby through the connections `described, the Wedge-blocks areraised'and the clamping-jaws freed A-from engagement with 'the rai-ls,`while at the same time as said wedge-blocks are lifted through theconnection of the operating cables with `the switches 63 and 79, thecircuit to theronjy `trolle'r 79n 'is closed andthe' brldgemay vbevivmovedalongthev tracks". When lthe bridge" has reached the pointdesired, the controller is operated to stop the motors and the In thisapplied to drive this end" wedge-blocks ofl their own weight, move into'positionto bring the clamping-jaws into engagement with the rails, andat the same time thefcircuit between the motors and controller isbroken. The-'eXhams't"V from the cylinders'passes out through thethree-way valve through a restricted opening and this controls thedescent of the .wedge-*blocks and prevents damage which might-be caused`bythetoo sudden drop of same.

In case an emergency stop is desired the release of the treadle will actto ls'top the motors through the operation of the switch even though thecontroller is on.

One of the `advantages of this construe tion is that therev is no danger.of the oper#` ator ,throwing the motors into voperation before theclamps have been released and thus causing damage., WhatI claim is:` r4l. In aitraveling bridge, the combination of a traversing motor,clampingm'echanism,v

means for :operating said clamping-mechanism, and means automaticallyoperable-durmg. the releasing operation of usald,clamping-,mechanism'for permitting the closing of the fcircuittosaidmotor. s 2. In a traveling bridge, the offa motor, pivotallymountedv clampingarms, ,a Wedge-block adapted to engagesaid combinationarms,- means. forraising` said lwedge-blocks,vvv

andfmeans operated by the movement of said v.wedge-blocks for ing ofthecircuit to said motor. y

y3. In va traveling ar1ns,fafwedge'block adapted to vengage saidclamping-arms, a.y fluid-operated cylinder,

permitting the clos-V bridge, the combination of a motor, pivotally.mounted clampings flexible connectionsv between.- said cylinder andlsaid wedge-blocks; and means operated by thefmovement ofzsaid.wedge-blocks for permitting the closing of the circuit to lsaid.

motor.

4.' In av traveling bridge, the combination of a motor,pivotallygmountedl clampingarms', awedge-block adapted to engage saidclamping-arms, a fluid-operatedy cylinder, flexible connectionsbetween'y saidcylinder and said wedge-block, a' switch,A andlconnections between said switchandgsaid flexible connections,l wherebysaid .switch isl'operrf ated by the movementof :said connections.

5f In `a traveling bridge, the combination of am'otor, pivotallymountedclampingarms, a'suspen'ded wedge-block adapted yto engage saidarms,meansfor raising said engage said arms, a fluid-operated cylinder,`

memes the motor.

7. In a traveling bridge, the combination of a traversing motor,clamping mechanlsm,

means for operating said clamping mechanism, and automatic meanscontrolled by the operation of the clamplng mechanism to prevent theoperation of said motor While said clamps are applied and to permit theoperation of the motor While said clamps are released.

8. In a traveling bridge, the combination of a traversing motor,clamping mechanism, means for operating said clamping mechanism, "andmeans operatively controlled by said clamping mechanism for closing acircuit `to the motor during the releasing operation of saidv clampingmechanism. l

9. In a rail clamp for traveling bridges,

they combination of pivot-ally mounted clamping members, a, Wedge-blockoperable by gravity to actuate said members, and means for raising saidAWedge-blocks.

ll0. In a rail clamp for traveling bridges, the combination of clampingmembers, a Wedge-block operable by gravity to actuate said clampingmembers, and means for raising said Wedge-block.

l1. In a rail clampfor traveling bridges, the combination of clampingmembers, a Wedge-block operable by gravity to engage said members, meansfor raising said Wedgeblock, and means for controlling the speed oflowering of said Wedge-block.

12. In a rail clamp for traveling bridges, the combination of clampingmembers, a Wedge-block operable by gravity to actuate said members andiuid raising said wedge-block.

13b In a rail clamp for traveling bridges, the combination of clampingmembers, a Wedge-block operable by gravity to actuate said members, andfluid pressure means for raising said Wedge-block, and means forcontrolling the wedge-block. e

In testimony whereof, I the said RAY- MOND E. BROWN, have hereunto setmy hand.

RAYMOND E. BROWN. Witnesses:

JOHN F. WILL, J. R. KELLER.

pressure means for speed of lowering said 55

